Apparatus for producing threads



July, 8 1924. 1,500,932

.1. P. HOOPER APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING THREADS Fiie'ci Feb. 23, 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIIII' Y'IIIII).

A V 8 5g llllll,

M s. 192A. 1,500,932

' A .J. P. HOOPER APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING THfiEIADs' FiledFeb. 23. 1922s qu-s'heet 2 Patented July 8, 1924. r

rA'rEs PATIENT ounce.

JAMES r, HOOPER, or nux'ron, MARYLAND, AssIeNon TO JAMES P. noornnmAn'iL FAGTURING COMPANY, or BAL'rmonE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION or MAM-LAND.

APPARATUS FOR- PRODUCING THREADS.

Application filed February 23, 1922. Serial No. 588,734.

7 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that JAMns'P. HOOPER, a citizenof the United States, residing at Ruxton, in the county of Baltimore andState of Maryland,- has invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Producing Threads, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an improved ap paratus for producing threadsfrom viscose or equivalent substances.

One object of the invention-is to provide an'improved structure wherebythe viscose solution may be ejected in the form of threads bycentrifugal force.

Another object is to combine with a centrifugal distributoror spinneretan improved structure for supplying a setting solution to act upon theejected threads.

A. further object is to provide a structure that combines a centrifugaldistributor or spinneret with means for forming a wall of settingsolution into which the threads are directed and which are so related asto provide an air gap across which the threads will extend in passingfrom the ejector means to the setting solution, and

Another object is to provide an improved construction of spinneretembodying a series of radial needles whereby through centrifugal forceto direct the viscose or other substance along the needles and ejectthesame in fine threads into a setting solution.

With the above, and other objects in view, the invention is illustratedin the accom panying drawing, wherein.

Fig. 1 shows an apparatus embodying the invention,-the structure beingshown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 illustrates an enlarged sectional detail through a portion of thedistributor or spinneret to show the means for retainwhich a -verticalspindle-7 extends. This spindle is tubular in form and therefore has acentral vertical passage 8.

. A pulley 9, is provided on the vertical spindle whereby to rotate thesame.

To the lower end of the spindle I screw a circular shell 10 having adepending an-' nular wall 11 and an inner dependingannular flange 12which is of less depth than said annular wall.

The annular wall 11 of the shell is provided with a series of smallperforatlons or nozzle-openings 13whieh extend from the inner o the 1outer side' of said wall.

Through each of the perforations or nozzle-openings 13 I project a thinneedle 14;

so that a series of radially-projecting nleefiles are provided all theway around th s e These needles have their inner ends extending throughperforations 15 that are provided through the inner depending annularflange 12, which perforations 15, are alined with the centers of theperforations or nozzle-openings 13 so that the needles will pass throughthe nozzle-openings 13 but leave an annular space in each opening aroundthe needle;

The extreme inner ends 16 of the needles terminate in a circular rowaround thein-.

The lower side of the shell 10, is closed' by a circular plate 17 whoseperiphery seats against the rim-edge of the shell and which is held inplace by means of a screw 18,

which passes throu h the plate; extends up wardly across the c amber 19that is'forrge'd by the shell and plate; and the upperefi'd' of thisscrew 18 screws into thelower end of thepassage 8 inthe spindle.

The screw 1 18 has a central passage and a plurality of lateral outlets21 whichopen into the annular chamber 19.

Around the screw 1 provide a"r1ng or collar 22 which latter seats on theplate 17 ing the latter upwardly will rigidly retain n I and whosevertical thickness is such that i 10 passa 35 the chamber. v

' The distributor chamber extends about the l of the spindle.

I A 1,aoo,eaa

- those needles in place in the openings 15 of the annular flange.

From the foregoing explanation it will be understood that the verticalpassage 8 5 of the spindle 7 communicates at its lower end with thechamber 19 that is formed by the shell and the plate 17,thecommunication between said passage 8 k and chamber 19 being by means ofthe screw- 20 and lateral outlets 21.

It is therefore to be understood that the shell 10 and plate 17 togetherform a chambered head and that said head is carried on the lower end ofthe spindle and is therefore revolved with the latter. As the outlets ornozzle-openings 13 are located in the vertical flange of the shell andthe needles 14 extend horizontally therethrough, said needles willrevolve in a hOIlzontal plane.

. The shell 10 and the circular plate 17 together form a chamberedheadwhich lat-' ter revolves in a horizontal plane because -,.,it is carriedon the lower end of. the rotating vertical spindle.

Around the head and the needles projecting therefrom there is provided ashell 23 which has a depending circular wall 24 whose inner side isspaced from "the ends 39 of the needles 14. At the upper side of thisshell 23 I provide anannular distributor-chamber 25 with a supply-pipe26 at one side of the latter, whereby a setting solution may be!continuously supplied to spindle 7 and is located in aplane above therotary head. I

I Between the. rotary head and the distributor-chamber 25, I preferablylocate a baflleplate 27. In the'present instance this baflie-' plate hasthe-'form'of a disk whose up enside is somewhat convex in that its an'nu'ar rim edge 28 curves downwardly and out- .wardl'v toward theinnercircumference of the circular shell wall 24 but is spacedtherefrom. j v v I In the present instance the bafile-plate 27 isillustrated as carried on the s mdle 7,

9 and while certain advantages may by thusmounting the baflie, becauserotary motion will be imparted thereto, it isnot essential that thisbaflle be rotated.

Below the shell 23 I show a funnel 29, into which the lower edge of thecircular wall 24 extends and directly over which the rotary head islocated. v Beneath the funnel I diagrammatically illustrate a reel 30for a purpose that will p' ntly be explained.

e upper end of the spindle 7, registers ,Wlth a supply tube 31 so thatthe viscose or.

equiva entsubstance may be dischar from shid tube 31 into the vertical 19:;

1 The operation of the apparatus is as fol-- ows:

Viscose, or equivalent solution, is supplied to the passage 8 of thespindle from the lower end of which it flows through the pas sages 20and 21 of the screw and then into the chamber 19 of the rotary head.

At the same time a setting solution is con-- tinuously fed through pipe26 into the dis tributor chamber 25 and from the latter said solutiondrops onto the upper convex side of the baifie-plate 27. If thebaffle-plate is carried by and revolves with the spindle 7, as I preferit should, the setting solution will be given a whirling motion as itleaves the rotating bafile and passes downwardly through the narrow gap32 between the periphery of the baffle and the inner side of thecircular shell-wall 24.

The setting solution flows down the inner side of the shell wallandcrosses the plane through which the horizontally-rotating needlestravel.

This downwardly-flowing wall of setting solution does not contact withthe ends of the radial needles 14, but an air-g'a 33' or space ismaintained between and said solution.

As the head 1017, revolves rapidly with the spindle 7 the viscosesolution in chamher 19 is subjected to the centrifugal force set up bythe rotation and caused to flow outwardly along the radial needles 14and discharged from the ends thereof in the form of fine threads.

These threads upon leaving the needleends extend across the air-gap 33before enpared to' state justwhat efl'ect the air-gap has on the thread,I have found that the strands ejected from the needle ends, when theair-gap is omitted, are broken off into short lengths whereas byproviding that gap the strands are ejected in the form of long threads.

'As "the threads enter'the settingsolution their speed of rotation isslowed down with respect to the rotating head so that a twistingtogether anda simultaneous drawing out of the'threads takes place;

The twisted threads are then directed down. through the funnel 29 andmay be wound .on a reel 30 'below'or subjected to a further treatment ifdesired.

Havingdescribed my inventionfI claim,'-

I. A mechanism for forming threads inthe nee le-ends eluding. aplurality' of needles, revolving means for rapidly moving the needlesthrough a circular path and means for su plying a thread-formingsolution to said needles as they move tobe ejected by centrifugal force.

2. A' mechanism for forming threads including a rapidly rotating rhaving for supplying a thread-forming solution to said needles as theytravel with the said member to be ejected therefrom by centrigugalforce.

3. A mechanism for forming threads in cluding a rapidly rotating membercarrying a plurality of needles which project therefrom and means at theaxis ends of the needles for supplying a thread-forming solution to theneedles astheytravel with the rotating member whereby to eject thesolution by centrifugal force.

4. A mechanism for forming threads including a plurality of needles,means for rapidly moving the needles through a circular pat-h, means forsupplying a threadforming solution to the needles as they travel. to.eject the solution by centrifugal force and form a series of threads,and

means for subjecting the threads to the action of a setting medium afterthey have left the needle-ends.

5. A mechanism for forming threads including a rapidly rotating memberhaving needles projecting therefrom, means for supplying athread-forming solution to said needles as they travel with the rotatingmember whereby to eject the solution by centrifugal force and formthreads and means about the ends of the needles. for a setting solutioninto which the threads ejected from the needles may pass.

6. A mechanism for forming threads in-v cludin a hollow spindle, achambered head carrle by and communicating with the hollow spindle saidhead having thread-forming openings therein, means for rapidly revolvingthe head to centrifugally eject material therefrom, an annular shellabout the head and spindle, means for continuously supplying athread-forming solution to the spindle and head, means for continuouslysupplying a setting solution to the shell and means in the shell abovethe head for caus mg the setting solution to flow in an annular streamdown past the head.

7. A mechanism. for forming threads includmg a rotatable head having aseries of circumferential openings, needles carried by 3 the head and.extending through said openmgs, means for supplying a thread-formingsolution to the head, means for revolving the head and needles tocentrifugall eject the solution along the needles an form threads, andmeans for subjecting the threads to the action of a setting element. 8,A mechanism for forming threads including a head sustained to rotate ina horizontal plane said head having a series of circumferentialopenings, needles passing freely through said openings and radiatingfrom the head, means for supplying -a thread-forming. solution to thehead, means for revolving the head and needles to cause and means fordirecting the flow of a setting solution in a plane which crosses theends of the needles. I

10. The combination with a vertical hollow spindle, of a chambered headcarried by and communicating with the interior of the spindle said headhaving a' series of' circumferential openings, needles radiating fromthe head at said openings, means for rapidly revolving the head to setup a centrifugal force, means for supplying a threadformmg solutionthrou hthe spindle to the head to be thrown centrlfugally throu h theopenings of. the latter and conveyed y the needles, and means around theneedles for maintaining a wall of setting solution to receive thestrands ejected from the needles. 11. The combination with a' verticalhollow spindle, of means for rapidly revolving the same, a chamberedhead carried by the spindle and communicating with the interior,

low spindle, of means for rapidly revolving v the same, a chambered headcarried by the s indle and communicating with the-intenor of the lattersaid head having a series of circumferential outlets, .needles radiatlnfrom andrevolving with the head at sa1 outlets, means for supplying athread-forming solutionto the head through the 3pmdle to be ejected bycentrifugal force from said needles, a shell about the outer ends of theneedles, a baflle in the shell above the needles and means for supplyinga setting solution to .the shell above the baflle.

13. The combination with a hollow spindle, of means for rapidlyrevolving the same, a chambered head carried by the spindle andcommunicating with the interior of the latter said head having a seriesof circumferential outlets, needles radiating from and revolving withthe head at said outlets,

from the needles by centrifugal force, a.

bafile in the shell and carried by and rotating with the spindle andmeans for supplying a sett'ng solution tothe shell.

14. A d vice for forming threads including a series of needles, meansfor moving the needles through a circular path to create a centrifugalforce, means for supplying a thread-forming solution to said needles, ashell about the needles, means for supplying a setting solution to theshell and a bafile in the shell between the solutionsupply and theneedles.

15. A device for forming threads including a series of needles, meansfor moving the needles through a circular path to create a centrifugalforce, means for supplying a thread-forming solution to said needles, ashell about the needles, means for slgfifilying a sett' solution to theshell and b e in the shell tween the setting solution entrance and theneedles.

16. A device for forming threads includinga series of needles, meansformoving the needles through a circular path to create a centrifugalforce, means for supplying a thread-forming solution to said needles, ashell about the needles, means for supplying a setting solution to theshell and a rotating bafile in the shell between the settin' -solutionentrance and the needles said be e hava curved rim.

I testimony whereof I m si ature.

JS P. 00 ER.

